All-optical switching and real-time spectroscopy of soliton molecules in a few-cycle laser oscillator

Bound states of femtosecond solitons are generated and controlled in a commercial sub-10 fs Kerr-lens mode-locked ultrashort oscillator. Using real-time time-stretch interferometry, we resolve the resonance of vibrating soliton molecules and demonstrate all-optical switching between stable bound-states of different binding distance

All-optical switching and real-time spectroscopy of soliton molecules in a few-cycle laser oscillator

Bound states of femtosecond solitons are generated and controlled in a commercial sub-10 fs Kerr-lens mode-locked ultrashort oscillator. Using real-time time-stretch interferometry, we resolve the resonance of vibrating soliton molecules and demonstrate all-optical switching between stable bound-states of different binding distance

Assessment of the performance of several novel approaches to improve physical properties of guar gum based biopolymer films

Biopolymer-based films are natural, renewable, nontoxic and biodegradable alternatives to plastic packaging. Despite years of ongoing research, biopolymer films still lag much behind plastic films in mechanical and barrier properties. In this study, guar gum (GG) based films were prepared to evaluate the potential of some novel applications in enhancing films physical properties. For this purpose, GG and glycerol based films were prepared with varying amounts of orange peel oil (1%, 2% v/v), and/or reinforced with halloysite nanotubes (HNT), and crosslinked with sodium trimetaphosphate (STMP). Oil incorporation, despite weakening films’ mechanical strength, increased film hydrophobicity and enhanced its water barrier properties. Crosslinking, decreased films’ relatively high solubility while also improving other film properties. Orange peel oil preserved its antimicrobial activity and HNT stabilized GG films provided controlled release of volatile essential oil. Findings indicated the possibility of improving physical properties of GG films with the methods employed

Recent Advances in Thermoplastic Starch Biodegradable Nanocomposites

The use of polymers capable of being degraded by the action of microorganisms and/or enzymes without causing harmful effects is a strategy in the management of waste and environmental care. Agro-polymers have begun to play a significant role among researchers and industry, since it has been found that these materials are Biodegradable and eco-friendly. Starch is a polymer belonging to the group of polysaccharides, which is produced by almost all plants using it as energy storage. Depending on the botanical origin of the plant, starch granules can have different shapes (spheres, platelets, polygonal) and size (from 0.5 to 175 μm). Its chemical composition consists of two components: amylose, composed of 1,4-α-D bonds of glucose in straight chains, and amylopectin, in which the glucose chains are highly branched. Starch is a naturally renewable carbohydrate polymer, abundant, and inexpensive, so it is mostly used as raw material in the production of Biodegradable polymers. However, since its thermal degradation and melting are overlapping processes, the structure of native starch must be physically modified by disrupting the crystalline structure of the granule, either by mechanical stress, pressure, or temperature, in the presence of aplasticizer. This process is called ?gelatinization? and the resulting product is known as ?Thermoplastic starch (TPS)?. This name is deduced by its processability characteristics similar to those of conventional thermoplastic polymers. The amount of plasticizer and its chemical nature exert a strong influence on the physical properties of starch in two aspects: (i) controlling its destructuring and depolymerization minimizing degradation during Processing; (ii) affectingthe final properties of the TPS, such as the glass transition temperature and mechanical properties. Starch has poor mechanical and barrier properties and is susceptible to changes in properties as a function of ambient humidity. The mechanical properties of Thermoplastic starch change as a function of time after gelatinization due to molecular reorganization, which depends on theProcessing method and storage conditions. When samples are stored below the Tg, they can suffer physical aging with densification of material. When T>Tg, samples develop retrogradation, increasing their crystallinity. Physical aging is observed for materials with plasticizer content less than 25% by weight. This phenomenon induces an increase in the strength of the material and a decrease in the deformation at break. Same strategies can be evaluated to reduce the disadvantages described above. Starch can be chemically modified producing the reaction of native starch with chemical reagents that introduce new functional groups, depending on the properties to be improved. Also, the incorporation of nanoclays to the polymer blends produces enhancements in the mechanical and barrier properties, driving to materials with high performance/cost ratio.The aim of this chapter is to evidence the advantages and disadvantages of the use of Thermoplastic starch as a replacement for conventional polymers, the strategies to improve its performance and also the use of nanoclays as fillers to improve the final properties of the material.Fil: Guarás, María Paula. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencia y Tecnología de Materiales. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencia y Tecnología de Materiales; ArgentinaFil: Ludueña, Leandro Nicolás. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencia y Tecnología de Materiales. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencia y Tecnología de Materiales; ArgentinaFil: Alvarez, Vera Alejandra. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencia y Tecnología de Materiales. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencia y Tecnología de Materiales; Argentin

Edible films and coatings as carriers of nano and microencapsulated ingredients

Edible films and coatings can provide a protective barrier against physical and mechanical damage, as well as create a controlled atmosphere, by acting as a semi-permeable barrier for gases, vapor and water. These films and coatings also offer the possibility of incorporating different functional ingredients. Nevertheless, the incorporation of these functional compounds is not always easy and new technologies are needed for successful incorporation. One of the possibilities is the use of micro and nanoencapsulation technologies that could help adding the functional compounds by improving their stability and dispersibility, and at the same time decrease the adverse effects that they can have in the films and coatings' properties. This chapter aims to provide a comprehensive review of the use of edible films and coatings for the incorporation of functional ingredients for food applications.Ana Guimarães received support through grant SFRH/BD/103245/2014 from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT). This study was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the scope of the strategic funding of UID/BIO/04469/2019 unit and BioTecNorte operation Ana Guimarães received support through grant SFRH/BD/103245/2014 from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT). This study was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the scope of the strategic funding of UID/BIO/04469/2019 unit and BioTecNorte operation (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000004) funded by the European Regional Development Fund under the scope of Norte2020—Programa Operacional Regional do Norte. This work was, also, funded by the projects: “CVMar+i: Industrial innovation through specific collaborations between companies and research centers in the context of marine biotech nological valorization” (INTERREG V-A España—Portugal—POCTEP 2014–2020, Ref. 0302_CVMAR_I_1_P), “MobFood—Mobilizing scientific and technological knowledge in response to the challenges of the agri-food market” (POCI-01-0247-FEDER-024524), by “MobFood” Consortium, and financed by European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), through the Incentive System to Research and Technological Development, within the Portugal2020 Competitiveness and Internationalization Operational Program.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio